Don’t Just Do Something; WAIT!

Acts 1:4 “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised…”

During a recent church service our pastor reminded us of something all Christians are called to do – WAIT. Though this is a very hard thing to do, it is more often than not what God asks us to do.

When we are weary we take comfort from Isaiah 40:31 that “those who wait on the Lord gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles.”

When we are anxious, the Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 37:7 and 9 to “rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of Him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes . . . . For evil doers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.”

When we need guidance, we call out for God in Psalm 25:5 to “lead me in your truth and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.”

In today’s verse Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for what the Father had promised them. They were to receive power from the Holy Spirit that would enable them to be effective witnesses of Christ’s death and resurrection and of the salvation that His work brought to the world.

As they waited together they continually devoted themselves to prayer. At the proper time the Holy Spirit filled them and blessed their ministry. Thousands believed their message and committed their lives to Christ.

I believe Christians today are called to wait on God in prayer for any ministries in which God allows us to participate. It is so easy to jump right in without much thought of the power needed to accomplish the spiritual work. Waiting on the Lord’s timing and power doesn’t seem productive in our “gitt’r done” culture, but this waiting is essential not only to a God-honoring outcome, but to a God- honoring process. Only after we have waited for God to lead us to act should we move forward.

When we fail to wait on the power from above, our efforts are not effective; we end up weary, anxious, and in need of guidance. And the answers to these difficulties are all the same – WAIT!

So what are you asking of God? Sit back and wait expectantly. The Father has made a promise and the answer may be just around the “WAIT” corner.